Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Top 3 health tips for 2016

Is anyone else sick of hearing the whole 'New Year, New You' spiel that everyone seems to talk about in January? I have read countless blogs and seen numerous social media posts that say the same thing.

I think the most annoying thing is most people do not stick to their goals. As soon as January is over, the concept of being a 'better you' flies out the window as old habits kick in. Now, don't get me wrong, it's important to strive for something, but how realistic are the goals we set ourselves?

I am no different, every year I set myself goals and 9/10 times I go back on what I promised to myself. This is why I decided this year will be different. I have set myself targets which are more realistic and easy to follow - for me anyway. I am on a mission to feel better about myself and to take care of number one. I feel that concentrating on my health is key to not only being a better person but also feeling like one.

Here are my top 3 health tips for 2016

YOU'RE WHAT YOU EAT

Have you ever heard the saying you're what you eat? The main reason people fail at being healthy is their lack of understanding of food. My goal for 2016 is to eat better. This does not consist of calorie counting or diet. This is more focused on understanding what food I am putting into my mouth and how this will affect my body. Eating the wrong types of food can have an enormous impact on your weight gain, and it can also cause illnesses such as diabetes if you're not careful.

I have been addicted to sugar since I can remember. My intake of delicious sweet treats is far beyond what the average person eats and as I've gotten older, the more I have seen this addiction take a toll on my body. Not only did I gain weight, It also affected my skin, and how I felt throughout the day. I felt sluggish and unmotivated. I couldn't think as clearly and the more I ate, the more I craved. My skin was greasy and I would break out in spots. Which at 26 isn't the best look or feeling.

My ultimate decision was to cut down on my sugar intake and get regular exercise. In the last two weeks I have cut down dramatically, swapping fizzy drinks and tea to hot water and lemon and also cutting out eating sweets in the week. I have allowed myself a 'cheat day' which is either Saturday or Sunday depending whether I fancy eating any chocolate or some form of treat. I have already seen a difference, my clothes fit better, my skin looks better and I have more energy.

Dinner - this varies, but if you would like to see the type of food I make leave me a comment below and I will write a few posts on recipes etc.

Gym - Monday, Wednesday and Friday

The idea is to not deprive yourself if you fancy something sweet, but it's more about cutting back and exercising more. The more you learn to love yourself, the more motivated you will feel to continue.

GET IN THOSE 40 WINKS

Sleep is one of the most important elements to have a healthy lifestyle. They say at least 7 hours sleep each night is necessary for your body to heal so you can function correctly the next day. I wake up at 6am each morning, so I try to get to bed around 9:30 each night. I usually read a book until around 10:15 before I turn the light out. I find that this gives me ample time to settle. I am such a cranky person if I do not have enough sleep and I physically cannot function correctly.

My suggestions

Read a book before bed - this will help drive you to sleep and relax you before bed

Do not look at your phone before bed, this only distracts you and wakes your brain up

Turn the TV off - I know many people like watching TV before bed (my boyfriend included) the noise and light from the TV will not help you settle, so ensure you turn off the TV at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep. This should help you to relax and allow your brain to turn to sleep mode.

Have a notepad by your bed - this is for those bedtime thinkers. I always find it's hard to switch off when you have a lot on your mind. By having a note pad, you can write everything down which should help settle your brain from all that creative thinking.

STRESS LESS

This is potentially the hardest, especially if you're naturally a stressor. Stress can bring on so many issues with your health, so finding the right solution for you to stop stressing is crucial. I am rather a stressful person. I can openly admit it, I am a stress-head. If something is bothering me it will start to slowly build until I feel like I can't cope with it any more. I worry about the little things and all the things that I can't even control, I've always been this way and I guess I always will be. It's just the way that I am.

However, I am trying to teach myself that it's not worth stressing over. I have tried man =y methods to help decrease stress within my life and here are my top tips..

10 ways to stress less

Talk about it! Communication is key when you're stressed. If you talk it through with someone logical you may find a solution and realise it's not worth stressing over.

Dance it out! Exercise is always a good way to de-stress. Even if you just dance around your living room, you may find that you relieve that tension you have.

Hug it out! I always find that a hug makes me happy and I feel secure and loved.

Look for new opportunities that challenge you! You may just need a change of pace.

Go for a walk. A change of scenery might help clear your mind.

Focus on the good things in life!

Get a good night's sleep, try going to bed 30 minutes earlier.

Take a deep breath and really consider what you're stressing about!

Focus on what you can control, not what you can't.

And lastly, try to smile! Do you know that it takes more muscles to frown that it does to smile! Give yourself a break.

I hope you found this post useful and I hope you all have a very healthy 2016.

2 comments

I really enjoyed this post, Roxy! It's super inspiring! You have a great meal plan I really like it and go to the gym is really important as well, I try to do Hot Yoga 4 times a week and since I'm Vegan I believe I have a pretty healthy lifestyle. Hope 2016 is a great one for you! xx

Hey Ale, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I have heard so many good things about hot yoga! Have you seen the benefits of it? WOW you definitely lead a healthy lifestyle - I don't think I could ever be vegan, that takes dedication and I like meat too much. But go you! Definitely something you should be proud of. I hope 2016 is amazing for you too xo